Bargaining With the Devil
by KelleeBee
Summary: What harm is there in sacrificing a life or two in the pursuit of greatness? A look inside the mind of Carter Burke.


The hardest part of deceit is staying calm. Burke knows this; lucky for him, he's mired in a crisis situation and appearing jumpy, nervous and anxious blends right in. He stands next to Corporal Hicks, Mr. Marines-All-American-Hero, and pretends to listen while he goes over his plan again in his mind.

He'll have to clean up the glass, of course. Make it look like an accident. Hicks will immediately suspect him but won't be able to prove it, and it won't matter anyway. They'll all be dead before they reach Earth. A few modifications to the cryosleep chambers will take care of that. He hasn't worked out how he'll do it yet, but he still has time. Maybe the Aliens will thin out the crowd before Bishop can call the ship to pick them up. It would certainly make his life easier, especially if Hicks were to be taken out of the picture.

Hicks. His father would have loved Hicks; honest, masculine, brave. All the qualities his father had berated him for lacking. The old man is dead now, and Hicks will be soon, and who will be left? Carter Burke will be left, that's who. Cunning always beats physical strength.

Movement in the corner of his eye captures his attention; Ripley is waving at the camera for help. His eyes dart to the Marines to see if they have noticed, but they're engrossed in their planning. He casually walks past the monitor and turns it off. It's only a matter of minutes before the aliens attach themselves to Ripley and the girl, effectively silencing them.

For one small second, he feels guilt prickle at his conscience. He can almost hear his father calling him a coward and a criminal. He thinks about the money and the voice grows quiet. It always does. A new voice, a slick voice, a voice dripping with charm the devil would envy replaces his father and asks innocently, "what is the life of one woman and one child when progress and profit are at stake?" He reassures himself and lets this line of thought continue. John would understand. John, his mentor, the closest thing he's ever had to a father. A brilliant Venture Capitalist and the head of Business Development for Weyland Industries. John saw the potential in Carter and took him under his wing, taught him about what really matters. Wealth and Power.

John was frank with him at their first meeting; Carter would never be a king of men, a captain of industry. He simply did not possess the required charisma and vision. Not to worry, though. He had something even more valuable: he was smart, he was not burdened by sentiment or liberal ethics, and best of all, Burke was an incredibly talented liar. These qualities were far more valuable, John had said. Why work to be a leader when those who follow will inevitably turn on you? Why make yourself a target? It is better to work in the background, buying and selling favors, always looking for an opportunity to get ahead, to strike first and ask questions later. This is how one acquires real power, and it could be his if he was willing to let go of the hope that he would be revered, celebrated or esteemed among the masses. The admiration of the masses is worth nothing compared to the security of wealth.

And isn't this what he is doing now? One woman and one child, completely expendable in the pursuit of wealth and power. Neither the woman nor the child had any family left; no one would miss them. Their loss would be sad, of course, but it would only be borne for a short while by those in his current company, and they would not feel the loss for long. Meanwhile, he would return home with a tale of sadness and courage, and the most provocative and important scientific discovery in centuries. He would have his wealth, and he would have his glory, John's theories be damned.

He is still not paying attention to Hicks; he's now mentally delivering an impassioned speech to the Weyland Corporation brass at a shareholders meeting when a commotion breaks out and snaps him out of his fantasy. His secret is out. Without missing a beat, he begins to script his rebuttal to Ripley's accusations as he follows behind Ripley's would-be rescuers. She will not take this away from him.

Later, when he is attacked by one of the nightmarish creatures they've discovered on this hellhole of a planet, he does not hear the voice of his father, or of John. He can only hear the sound of his own voice. Screaming.

And then, silence.


End file.
